The Editor's Blog

hilippine Airlines has announced the early deployment of its latest aircraft, a brand new Boeing 777-300ER to serve Sydney and Melbourne from this Saturday, February 20.

The aircraft’s arrival one month ahead of schedule will set new standards on the Australian routes, offering a larger and more spacious aircraft with wider seats, wider aisles, more headroom and seat-back video on demand throughout all cabins.

Its business class will offer the most modern features available on direct flights between Australia and Manila, including the only fully flat beds.

The 370-seat aircraft’s debut is part of a significant new investment in the Australian market by Philippine Airlines and will be followed by the March 18 launch of the carrier’s new twice-weekly A330 services from Brisbane.

A new schedule coinciding with the introduction of Brisbane services will see the 777 fly five times a week from Sydney to Manila and three times a week from Melbourne, in addition to another two Melbourne services each week aboard an Airbus A330.

Philippine Airlines is also working closely with wholesalers and the trade to offer a range of new Philippine holiday packages.

Yes, you heard it right. The second phase of the New 7 Wonders of Nature (N7WN) has just been concluded and from the list of 77 nominees, the Panel of Experts have trimmed it down to the Top 28.

Fortunately, the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River in Palawan, together with the Amazon and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef were among the finalists.

Originally limited to 21, the 28 official New 7 Wonders finalists was announced yesterday by the New7Wonders Foundation in Zurich.

The N7WN? finalists are then classified into seven groups to compete against each other within their category.

Other finalists include
1 Angel Falls (Venezuela)
2 Bay of Fundy (Canada)
3 Black Forest (Germany)
4 Bu Tinah Shoals (UAE)
5 Cliffs of Moher (Ireland)
6 Dead Sea (Palestine,Israel,Jordan)
7 El Yunque (Puerto Rico)
8 Galapagos (Ecuador)
9 Grand Canyon (US)
10 Halong Bay (Vietnam)
11 Iguazu Falls (Brazil/Argentina)
12 Jeita Grotto (Lebanon)
13 Jeju Island (South Korea)
14 Kilimanjaro (Tanzania)
15 Komodo (Indonesia)
16 Maldives (Maldives)
17 Masurian Lake District (Poland)
18 Matterhorn/Cervino (Switzerland/Italy)
19 Milford Sound (New Zealand)
20 Mud Volcanoes (Azerbaijan)
21 Sundarbans (India/Bangladesh)
22 Table Mountain (South Africa)
23 Uluru (Australia)
24 Vesuvius (Italy)
25 Yushan (Chinese Taipei)

These would also be the start of the New7Wonders? World Tour where each of the candidates will be visited for a chance to be seen by the whole world before the final counting on 2011.

Voters can now select their choice of seven natural wonders from the list of 28 Official Finalist Candidates. You can vote by phone or through the Internet by selecting images through an interactive interface. The voter is also required to choose 7 nominees.

Vote for the Philippines’ Puerto Princesa Subterranean River in Palawan.

By Arj

Graywall Resort, tucked away in the seaside town of White Beach Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro, Philippines, a 650 square meters landscaped, tropical resort with half mile long beach fronting the Batangas Strait. It is a secluded hideaway where tranquility and activity meet.

A place which sets you free to do and enjoy things out of the ordinary in a convivial setting of sun, sea and sand. Laze in a hammock under the palm trees, dive or snorkel for a look-see at beautiful marine life, explore the resort by pathways or jet skies or simply enjoy beautiful Graywall tropical setting.

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Graywall Resort is now offering a low-season package for as low as Php2,900.00 only per person including 3 days and 2 nights stay, transportation from Manila to Puerto Galera to Manila, FREE breakfast and welcome drinks. The best offer ever in a peaceful and memorable place for your family and friends. This special offer last until October 15, 2009 only, for inquiries and reservation you can visit the website at www.graywallresort.com or call the manila hotline +632.3033772 / +632.4501565 look for the reservation officers Ryan or Roma / email: info@graywallresort.com.

Philippines is one of the dive paradise haven in the world. Because the 7,101 islands Philippines is surround by crystal blue water, it has many dive sites that tourist can visit and explore the thrills of the deep sea. Divers around the world was so amazed of the dive sites here in the country that they keep on returning to back to dive. The Philippine waters is full of colorful, exotic and different underwater wildlife that divers around the world would like to explore.

Philippines is located in the center of the coral triangle which boasts of the most biodiversity and marine-rich waters on earth. Because of this, Philippines is called as Asia’s Dive Capital according to the Department of Tourism. Philippines is known to the world to have more than 500 coral species and more than 2,000 species of exotic marine fish in the world.

Philippines has many dive sites, here the popular world-class dive destinations that divers around the world always visit.

1. Anilao: This dive spot is the favorite diving destination of local divers that came from Manila. Because this is very close to Manila, it became the weekend paradise. Anilao dive site is located at the southeast tip of Batangas.

2. Coron Bay: This dive destination is located in Busuanga island, Palawan and is also the home of the wreck Japanese World War Ships. This is also the one of the best wreck dive site in the world. In the waters of Coron Bay, you will find limestone walls which rise to heights of 22 meters offering a spectacular view above and below water.

3. Moalboal: This dive spot is located in Cebu. Moalboal boasts the Pescador and Sunken Islands where it is one o the favorites of the underwater photographers, divers and snorkelers. Moalboal has a beautiful reek that it house beautiful marine life such as eagle rays, turtles, devil fish, white tips, moray eels and etc.

4. Puerto Galera: This dive destination has the most beautiful natural harbor in the world. Puerto Galera is known as the Pearl of Mindoro. Puerto Galera has world-beach resorts, coral reefs and beautiful dive sites.

5. Apo Reef: This dive destination is located in the west coast of the island of Mindoro. Apo reef has an amazing drop-offs and walls. Divers love to dive in this site because has an excellent visibility and is good for photography. Here at Apo Reef, you will find big school of fish like tuna, barracuda, trevally, hammerheads, white and black tip reef sharks, manta, eagle and sting rays, and turtles.

6. Malapascua: This dive destination is also the home of the world-famous beach resorts. Malapascua has beautiful coral gardens and excellent dive spots. If you would like to see thresher shark everyday then Malapascua will not disappoint you.

7. Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park: This marine park is located in the southeast of Puerto Princesa City in Palawan. Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park is listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Site. This marine park is composed of two beautiful reef systems - the North Reef and the South Reef. You can see rare species of endangered sea turtles as well as rare species of exotic fish.

8. Apo Island: This dive destination is the most populous and diverse aquatic ecosystem in the world. This ecosystems was replicated at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago on a 27,000 sq. ft. area costing million. Apo Island is located in Negros Oriental.

9. Balicasag Island: This dive site destination is located in Bohol. This island is surrounded by coral reef that it is good for diving and snorkeling. There is a marine sanctuary at the southern side of the island and you can see soft and hard corals there. You find exotic marine life such as anemone, crinoids, sponges, barracuda, jacks and etc.

10. Subic Bay: This dive destination is one of the best wreck dive site in Asia. It has 25 Japanese war ships that sunk during World War II. Subic Bay is best for wreck divers.

By: ETravel

Philippines ecotourism is varied and unlimited. That is why there are groups of who wanted to promote Philippines as ecotourism destination. These groups are the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Tourism (DoT), ABS-CBN Foundation, Inc.’s Bantay Kalikasan, and Conservation International Philippines. These group has already agreed to work together for the promotion of the “Magandang Pilipinas”, a project that will boost up the country’s ecotourism and as a world-class ecotourism destination.

The pilot ecotourism project sites that the parties has agreed to manage in a memorandum of agreement, has been identified as a high ecotourism potential with beautiful scenic attractions and are endowed with rich biodiversity. These sites are mostly protected area in the Philippines. Under the agreement, the parties agreed to manage existing and pre-identified ecotourism sites in the Philippines and promote specific ecotourism sites.

The sites include the Verde Island Marine Passage Corridor in Batangas (center of the center of marine shorefish biodiversity’); Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park (underground river); Donsol, Sorsogon (whale shark watching); El Nido, Palawan (marine protected area and limestone karst); Tubbataha National Marine Park (coral reef); Banawe Rice Terraces, Ifugao; Mayon Volcano, Albay; Pamilacan, Bohol; Hundred Islands, Alaminos, Pangasinan; Sapang Bato, Angeles City, Pampanga; Lake Sebu, South Cotabato.

The group believed that Philippines will excel in this area. Promoting the Philippines as a World Class Ecotourism Destination will boost up the influx of tourist, visitors and locals to the ecotourism sites that will surely generate income.

MANILA, Philippines - Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) commandant, ordered the relief of five coastguardsmen at the Port of Batangas who allegedly allowed the ill-fated M/B Commando 6 to sail last Saturday.

The Puerto Galera-bound boat, which was reportedly overloaded, capsized around 1 p.m. near the waters of Malahibo Manok, Batangas Bay, Batangas City, due to huge waves, killing 12 passengers.

Ordered relieved pending Special Board of Marine Inquiry were Chief Petty Officer Nolasco Ramirez, PO3 James Laurelles, PO2 Isabelo Dimapiles, PO2 Leonardo Gallago, and Seaman First Julius Panopio.

“We have to investigate the procedure done by the boarding team. They are relieved pending the investigation to determine if they have liability or not," said Tamayo.

Tamayo also said they would also look into the two passenger manifests submitted by the M/B Commando 6. “The first manifest shows that it has eight passengers while the second manifest shows that it has 42 passengers," said Tamayo

The PCG chief said the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) has suspended the operation of all seven motor bancas under the Ylagan Shipping Lines water Transport Company.

Tamayo said the seven motor bancas will be brought to Minolo Port in Oriental Mindoro for inspection by Marina and all her trips are temporarily suspended.

The PCG chief directed Commodore Cecil Chen, commander of Coast Guard District-Southern Tagalog, to convene the Special Board of Marine Inquiry (SBMI) to conduct formal investigation on the tragedy as soon as possible.

The fatalities in the sea tragedy were identified as Lani Asedo; Coraine Beatriz Asedo; Joena Perez; Desiree Teodoro; Albino Pablico; Gregoria Pablica; Daisy Eugenio; Franco Eugenio; Anton Cruz; Tess Cruz; Hosutani Shugi believed to be a Japanese; and Nina Cads.

PCG said 43 passengers of the 12.45 gross tons M/B Commando 6 survived the sea tragedy.

By Marlon Ramos
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines — The owner of the ill-fated motorized ferry boat which capsized Saturday off Verde Island in Batangas and drowning 12 people has gone into hiding, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported Sunday.

Lieutenant Commander Troy Cornelio, PCG Batangas chief, said boat owner Renato Ilagan has yet to talk to them since the incident.

Cornelio said Ilagan was the registered owner of M/B Commando 6, which sank in the middle of Verde Island passage on its way to Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro from the port in Batangas City.

He said Ilagan and his representatives were nowhere to be found Sunday morning, when his men went to his office at the Port of Batangas to serve a subpoena for him.

Ilagan's office has been closed since Saturday, he added.

Cornelio said they were looking at the possibility that the boat was overloaded.

"Although we are still conducting a thorough investigation of the accident, the initial information we got showed that the boat had excess passengers," he said when reached on his mobile phone.

MANILA – At least 12 people, including three children and a Japanese tourist, drowned when a boat bound for a resort island overturned and sank in rough waters off Batangays province on Saturday, police and the coast guard said.

Another 52 people were rescued and eight were still missing, coast guard officials said.
Local fishermen rushed to the area to rescue those in the water after distress calls were sent by the boat captain, regional police chief superintendent Luisito Palmera said.
Among the dead was a 40-year-old Japanese tourist, Palmera said. His two companions were among the survivors.

A Filipino woman traveling with them said by telephone from Puerto Galera that it was a sunny day but that big waves flipped the boat over, breaking its outrigger.
“It happened so fast. I could not even remember how I got out,” she said. The boat left Batangas City port for Puerto Galera on Mindoro island.